asked the Minister for Defence the amount of money allocated to his Department for the purchase of naval vessels in the past four years; and the total amount spent on such vessels to date.
75.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Purchase of Naval Vessels.
74.
asked the Minister for Defence (a) the number of mine sweepers recently purchased from Britain; (b) the number currently in service; (c) the cost to date of repairs, other than alterations; and (d) the number of foreign trawlers arrested since the commissioning of these boats.
76.
asked the Minister for Defence whether two of the recently purchased mine sweepers travelled from Gibraltar to Cork under their own power.
77.
asked the Minister for Defence the number of nautical steaming hours of one mine sweeper with a full fuel load.
With the permission of the Ceann Comhairle, I propose to take Question Nos. 74-77 together.
Three coastal minesweepers were purchased from the British Ministry of Defence earlier this year. Delivery of the first, L.E. Grainne, was taken at Portsmouth and it was sailed to Haulbowline in February. The other two vessels were collected at Gibraltar in March and they travelled to Haulbowline under their own power. The process of assimilating the three minesweepers into the Naval Service is proceeding but as they had been in reserve for some years it is only to be expected that some minor defects would be revealed, e.g. deterioration of the sacrificial and nylon sheathing. These defects do not, however, detract from the vessels' seaworthiness. All underwent harbour and sea acceptance trials under British Ministry of Defence supervision before they were sailed to Haulbowline.
However base spares are essential for normal day-to-day maintenance and until these have been received the operation of the vessels is curtailed to some extent. L.E. Grainne is non-operational at the moment for this reason. L.E. Fola is operational and L.E. Banba is about to undergo dry-docking for repairs to the nylon sheathing which was damaged on the voyage from Gibraltar.
The range of a coastal minesweeper with a full fuel load is 3,500 nautical miles, i.e. 270 hours at 13 knots.
The expenditure to date on repairs other than alterations is £3,344.
The amount allocated to my Department during the four years ended 31st March, 1971, for the purchase of coastal minesweepers and a fishery protection vessel was £745,000 and of this amount, 639,000 was spent.
No foreign trawlers have been arrested since the commissioning of the coastal minesweepers.
Could the Minister indicate if these mine sweepers recently purchased by the Irish Government were refitted before they were taken over? I do not think I need ask if they are fully operational because, quite obviously from the reply, they are not.
Certain defects were expected since they were out of service for a long period.
Surely whoever is responsible for buying naval vessels on behalf of the Government and the Department of Defence should have seen that they were refitted and in full operational order? We have been sold mine sweepers which have not been refitted possibly for a period of three or four years.
The vessels were subjected to extensive trials by the British Ministry of Defence and the officials of our own Naval Service. They were bought "as lying" and it was not unexpected that when they would resume operations some defects would appear. It did not come as any surprise when defects did appear, but we are quite satisfied that the vessels are sound.
Why should such defects appear on the first voyage of the vessels?
They were of a very minor nature, and our Naval Service are not worried about the extent of the repairs that are necessary.
There is no crisis. They are worried about nothing.
78.
asked the Minister for Defence if, when the recently purchased mine sweepers become fully operational, he will have one of them patrol the north-east area of our coastal waters.
The coastal mine sweepers, when fully operational, will be assigned to patrol duties as required in areas where their services can be utilised to the best advantage.